21 December 2014

Sermon:Advent 4B (OT)

Summary: More important than anything we might build or do for God is what He builds and does for us. So in the time of David, when the king wanted to build a house for the Lord, the Lord instead promised to build a house for David.

That “house” was David’s family and from that lineage was born Jesus, the King of the Jews and the King of all Creation. That household is now the family of us and all who believe in Jesus as Savior. In a very real way, God prevented David from building a “habitat for Divinity” that He might instead build a habitat for David and for all humanity.

Text: Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

“Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house....

“‘And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16